Doobies To Play NAFEM All-Industry GalaYes, some of us who still have paisley shirts and platform shoes in the attic have always wanted to use the word "Doobie" in a headline, but that's beside the point.

NAFEM has lined up the Doobie Brothers to perform at its all-industry celebration at its bi-annual show in Orlando, Fla., next February.

The Doobies, who've released 11 multi-platinum albums since their 1972 "Toulouse Street" breakout, will appear Feb. 6 at the Valencia Ballroom, Orange County Convention Center in Orlando following NAFEM's gala awards ceremony and dinner banquet.

Tickets for the banquet and concert can be purchased for $150 when you register for the NAFEM Show at www.thenafemshow.org.

Starbucks Nips 'N TucksSign Of Times?
Starbucks has announced plans to close up to 600 U.S. stores, or about 5 % of its domestic locations, to boost profits and return to shareholders.

The closings will dislocate about 12,000 employees, but the company said it will relocate as many as possible among other Starbucks locations.

The closings are part of a turnaround plan under the new leadership of Howard Schultz, who gave up his job as CEO a few years ago, but returned to help lead the turnaround. In January, Schultz said only about 100 stores would be closed.

Many of the stores being shuttered are being cannibalized by other Starbucks locations that were too close by, according to company spokesperson Valerie O'Neil. But Starbucks' woes may reflect broader concerns about the slowing economy, according to some observers.

Store closings will occur in all major markets between July and March, O'Neil said, but markets hit hard by the downturn in real estate like Florida and California could see more closures.

Arby's Development Deals Mean 35 New Stores
New development deals at Arby's Restaurant Group mean the chain will open 35 additional new stores in 13 states across the United States.

Arby's signed the agreements with eight existing franchisees and five new ones during its first fiscal quarter of 2008. One of the existing franchisees, United States Beef Corp., the company's largest with 252 stores, agreed to open 11 more, according to CEO Jeff Davis. Other existing and new franchisees agreed to open from one to four more stores each.

Last year, Arby's exceeded its development goals with the opening of 148 restaurants and development commitments for 197 new stores.

El Pollo Loco Honored For Energy EfficiencyEl Pollo Loco has been honored by Southern California Gas Co. for energy-efficient equipment upgrades. The award was presented at The Gas Co.'s third annual Energy Efficiency Expo, where El Pollo Loco was among a handful of companiesand the only restaurant companyrecognized for commitment to energy efficiency.

The Costa Mesa, Calif., chain received more than $13,000 in rebates to offset the cost of upgrading fryers and ovens in 11 restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area. The upgrades will save the company about $5,000 per year in energy costs.